Asthma prevalence is on the rise and children in minority communities have the highest prevalence. Objective: Pilot study done at Mission Day School (private elementary school) and at New Salem Baptist Church (urban inner city neighborhood) in Columbus, OH, to understand asthma prevalence in two communities with same racial but different socio-economic status. All children were African Americans. Methods: Asthma screening was done using validated "Easy Breathing Survey (Hall CB et al . J Pediatr 2001;139:267-72)" with 4 questions. A positive response to any of the 4 questions has 94% sensitivity for asthma and specificity [% (95%CI)] of each question between 66% - 86%. Results: Questionnaire was sent to 105 families at both places. Fifty four families at school and 53 families at church completed the survey. Comparing data from school and church revealed median age 7 and 9 years, M:F 28:26 and 27:26, family history of asthma 24 and 27, known asthma triggers in 16 and 18 children respectively. Nine (16%) children at both sites had previous diagnosis of asthma and among them, 8 at school and all nine at church still had positive responses to survey. Additional 27 children at school and 26 at church responded positively to questions on survey though none of them had a previous diagnosis of asthma and about one third of them at both sites had required acute care for asthma within a year. Conclusions: Asthma prevalence is high in African American community irrespective of their socio-economic status. In the majority, symptoms are not well controlled. More than half of children at both sites had positive survey suggesting that they might have undiagnosed asthma.


Electric network frequency (ENF) is a time-varying signal of the frequency of mains electricity in a power grid. It continuously fluctuates around a nominal value (50/60 Hz) due to changes in the supply and demand of power over time. Depending on these ENF variations, the luminous intensity of a mains-powered light source also fluctuates. These fluctuations in luminance can be captured by video recordings. Accordingly, the ENF can be estimated from such videos by the analysis of steady content in the video scene. When videos are captured by using a rolling shutter sampling mechanism, as is done mostly with CMOS cameras, there is an idle period between successive frames. Consequently, a number of illumination samples of the scene are effectively lost due to the idle period. These missing samples affect the ENF estimation, in the sense of the frequency shift caused and the power attenuation that results. This paper develops an analytical model for videos captured using a rolling shutter mechanism. This model illustrates how the frequency of the main ENF harmonic varies depending on the idle period length, and how the power of the captured ENF attenuates as idle period increases. Based on this, a novel idle period estimation method for potential use in camera forensics that is able to operate independently of video frame rate is proposed. Finally, a novel time-of-recording verification approach based on the use of multiple ENF components, idle period assumptions, and the interpolation of missing ENF samples is also proposed.


Labor is one of the most painful experiences in a woman's life. Does water birth influence the pain experienced? Data from an ongoing, longitudinal, prospective observational study that spans 9 years and includes questionnaires from 12,040 births were used to evaluate pain perception (visual analogue scale (VAS)) and analgesic use. Three birthing methods were compared: water birth, bed birth and Maia stool birth. Based on the VAS, the data show that the different birthing methods do not influence the intensity of pain throughout the different stages of labor. The only significant difference noted was that bed births are more painful in the early first stage, and less painful at the end of the second stage. This later difference may be due to increased use of epidural anesthesia in women choosing a bed birth. Women who choose bed births are significantly less likely than others to have an analgesic-free birth. For primiparas, there is also a small but significant difference showing that water births are less likely to require analgesics compared to Maia stool births. No such difference is seen in women who have given birth previously. We conclude that women who choose bed births perceive more pain in the early first stage of labor, leading them to be more likely to choose an epidural anesthesia in the late first stage, or to use other types of analgesics. Women who choose water births or Maia stool births are more likely to get through labor without using any analgesics.


The self-organization of multicomponent supramolecular systems involving a variety of two-dimensional (2 D) polygons and three-dimensional (3 D) cages is presented. Nine self-organizing systems, SS(1)-SS(9), have been studied. Each involves the simultaneous mixing of organoplatinum acceptors and pyridyl donors of varying geometry and their selective self-assembly into three to four specific 2 D (rectangular, triangular, and rhomboid) and/or 3 D (triangular prism and distorted and nondistorted trigonal bipyramidal) supramolecules. The formation of these discrete structures is characterized using NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In all cases, the self-organization process is directed by: 1) the geometric information encoded within the molecular subunits and 2) a thermodynamically driven dynamic self-correction process. The result is the selective self-assembly of multiple discrete products from a randomly formed complex. The influence of key experimental variables--temperature and solvent--on the self-correction process and the fidelity of the resulting self-organization systems is also described.


Drawing insights from the sociology of expectations and recent studies on future visions in communication studies, this article traces and analyzes how Wired—a technology news provider and socio-technical vanguard whose vision is to uncover technological innovations—anticipated socio-technical visions of online ratings and reviews over two decades (1998–2018). The qualitative textual analysis of Wired's coverage revealed two socio-technical visions, namely, promissory futures and problematic futures. The former embraced neoliberal discourses of consumer empowerment and accountability, whereas the latter entailed a pessimistic evaluation of the manipulation of online ratings and the potential of adopting online ratings beyond e-commerce platforms. The visions represented in Wired largely followed the logic of "technological solutionism." This study affords opportunities for thinking about the role of popular media discourses and temporalities in shaping imagined futures of emerging technologies.


Fish-killing algal blooms increasingly threaten global aquaculture operations through the production of a wide variety of potent fish-killing toxins (ichthyotoxins). Effective mitigation strategies are therefore much needed. This thesis work explored the potential of clay minerals to not only remove harmful algal cells through flocculation, but instead focused on their ichthyotoxin adsorptive properties. Our experimental work explored 14 different clays (bentonite, kaolin, Korean loess, Phoslock\(^{TM}\), zeolite), tested against 7 fish-killing algae (Alexandrium spp., Chattonella marina, Cochlodinium polykrikoides, Heterosigma akashiwo, Karlodinium veneficum, Karenia mikimotoi, Prymnesium parvum). Ichthyotoxicity was assessed with the gill cell line RTgill-W1 assay.
Extensive screening of different clays against the haptophyte Prymnesium parvum showed that removal of ichthyotoxicity was clay type and pH specific. At pH 9, only bentonite clays could completely remove ichthyotoxicity. However, other clays, such as Phoslock\(^{TM}\) that worked well (57% removal) at pH 7, exacerbated ichthyotoxicity at pH 9 (by up to 30%), despite demonstrating high cell removal. We interpret this to be due to Prymnesium cell lysis caused by physical contact with clay, as well as pH induced changes in clay particle surface chemistry (e.g. zetapotential). Bentonite clay could completely eliminate P. parvum, K. mikimotoi and K. veneficum toxicity at clay loadings between 0.05-0.25 g L\(^{-1}\), with detailed additional experiments revealing high swelling (<20 mL/2g) bentonites of fine particle size (<5μm) to be best suited.
While extracellular C. marina, H. akashiwo and Alexandrium spp. ichthyotoxins could only partially be removed, application of clay during cell lysis completely eliminated ichthyotoxicity. The likely reason appears to be the preferential adsorption of lipid peroxidation precursors (EPA, DHA) over highly toxic fatty acid aldehyde end products (deca- and heptadienal). Chattonella marina cell removal could be significantly improved through the addition of the flocculant polyaluminium chloride or synthetic amino-clays, which both proved excellent C. marina ichthyotoxin adsorbents. In the case of A. catenella, however, only bentonite clay proved suitable for ichthyotoxin removal purposes.
Finally, in August 2015, we worked with Korean National Institute of Fisheries Science scientists on routine clay dispersal operations targeting finfish farm threatening Cochlodinium polykrikoides blooms off Namhae Island ($1.4M fish lost). Clay effectively reduced Cochlodinium cells to below levels considered dangerous to finfish aquaculture (<300 cells mL\(^{-1}\)), but exacerbated ichthyotoxicity by up to 32% compared to control sites. Simulated laboratory experiments with Korean loess confirmed that rapid (<5 min) Cochlodinium cell lysis after clay treatment caused increased ichthyotoxicity. Identical, finely ground (<30 μm) clay (not used in field) also generated significant cell lysis, but instead was capable of completely eliminating ichthyotoxicity. Laboratory manipulations with various Korean clay application regimes (pulsed additions, turbulence), indicated that only Cochlodinium concentration significantly influenced cell removal efficiency (higher removal at lower algal densities). Ground clay consistently outperformed conventional Korean loess (up to 20% higher cell removal).These findings highlight the potential of clay for ichthyotoxin adsorption, albeit HAB species, clay and pH specific, and point towards fine-tuning current practices for improved treatment efficacy.


Abstract : This report presents an image processing technique to detect satellite streaks. This method is particularly useful in the context of surveillance of space where the positions of active satellites and other orbital debris must be monitored. In such cases, the orbital parameters are known, but after a certain time this knowledge deteriorates because of the recent orbit perturbations. Consequently, the satellites need to be re-observed and the orbital parameters must be updated before these satellites are declared lost. Hence, even before its reacquisition, the satellite's motion is known but its position is estimated with a certain margin of error. This knowledge allows for automatic pointing of the telescope, acquiring of images with the satellite streak within the field of view, developing a matched filter (with the motion knowledge) for detecting this streak within the image and declaring of the satellite position. This study begins with a detailed analysis of a typical image, which includes several sensor artefacts (such as dead pixels, background gradient, noise) and signal degradation (bleeding, blooming, saturation, etc.). This study explains how sensor artefacts are corrected, image background is removed and noise is partially erased. Then, it describes a technique to detect and erase stars. This reduces the number of objects in the image that could generate false alarms. Finally, this document describes how to design and apply a matched filter used for extracting the satellite streak in images. Examples of processed data are illustrated for each of the processing steps.


Type-2 diabetes is strongly linked to visceral obesity and elevated levels of circulating free fatty acids. For years this correlation of obesity to diabetes has intrigued the minds of researchers and research in this direction has led to a possible solution to this question. Human Genome project has identified nearly 150 orphan GPCRs. The reverse pharmacology approaches have identified free fatty acids as ligands for the GPR40 family of orphan receptors. This review mainly emphasizes on the role of GPR40 carboxylic acid receptor family in the development of diabetes along with detailed coverage of each receptor of the family. GPR40 family has provided an insight into regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in vertebrates and has further provided targets for the development of therapeutic agents useful for treating or preventing disorders such as Type-2 diabetes. This review also suggests where further research and development could be beneficial.


The aim of this article is to analyse the prospects of gold mine development at RoAŸia MontanAƒ, with a focus on the uncertainty regarding this process. We are specifically interested in the issues associated with cyanide spill accidents and how these uncertain events can alter the cost/benefit analysis. Making use of an established methodology, we conclude that the projected gold exploitation can pose considerable risks to the environment, and that an efficient operation would imply either reducing these risks, their effect on the environment, or both. Finally, we also draw from historical knowledge regarding the ancient mine Alburnus Maior, in order to assess the viability of the modern exploitation. We conclude that the modern project could be improved by technological progress, which would seek to maximize the scale of operations, while minimizing both the risk of accidents and their impact on the environment.


From Summary: "In order to provide information that might lead to the development of better propeller section, 13 related symmetrical airfoils were tested in the NACA high-speed wind tunnel for a study of the effect of thickness form on the aerodynamic characteristics. The thickness-form variables studies were the value of the maximum thickness, the position along the chord at which the maximum thickness occurs, and the value of the leading-edge radius. The tests were conducted through the low angle-of-attack range for speeds extending from 35 percent of that of sound to slightly in excess of the speed at which a compressibility burble, or breakdown of flow, occurs. The corresponding Reynolds number range is 350,000 to 750,000."


It is commonly accepted that the use of personal information in business and government puts individual privacy at risk. However, little is known about these risks-for instance, whether and how they can be measured, and how they vary across social groups and the sectors in which personal data are used. Unless we can gain a purchase on such issues, our knowledge of the societal effects of information technology and systems will remain deficient, and the ability to make and implement better policies for privacy protection, and perhaps for a more equitable distribution of risk and protection, will remain impaired. The article explores this topic, examining conventional paradigms in data protection, including the one-dimensional view of the ''data subject,'' that inhibit better conceptualizations and practices. It looks at some comparative survey evidence that casts light on the question of the distribution of privacy risks and concerns. It examines theoretical issues in the literature on risk, raising questi...


: Healthcare facilities today are finding themselves increasingly liable in malpractice suits if they have hired incompetent physicians or allowed them to remain on the medical staff. Thus appropriate processes for physician credentialing are important. The hospital medical staff has the authority to evaluate medical staff membership status and clinical privileges and to take disciplinary and corrective action. If the medical staff fails to do its job, however, the hospital governing board is responsible for making sure the credentialing process is carried out properly. The same rules apply to the reapplication process. The hospital must associate its credentialing process with its prevailing concern for high-quality patient care and document that ideal. Preservation of market share and elimination of competition must never enter into the credentialing process. Well-framed hospital bylaws will help provide protection from liability, if they are followed correctly. If a hospital deviates from its bylaws when processing an application or granting clinical privileges, it risks a lawsuit. Congress has passed the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986-an act that not only protects patients from incompetent practitioners but also can help limit facility's risk of liability by requiring facilities and third-party payers to report any adverse actions taken against physicians. The National Practitioner Data Bank is an information clearing-house opened in September 1990 that hospitals must use to report and obtain professional information about physicians.


As the System-on-Chip (SoC) complexity increases, hardware/software co-design plays an important role to improve design productivity, reduce time to market, and optimize the overall results. Consequently, there is a high interest in providing rapid system validation in such a paradigm to achieve the aforementioned objectives. There exist in previous works prototyping techniques related to the development phase. FPGA-based prototyping has the benefits of enabling HW/SW integration and system validation after the Register Transfer Level (RTL) implementation is available while virtual platforms provide capabilities to accelerate software development with higher level functional models, e.g. Transaction Level Modeling (TLM). In this paper, we propose a hybrid prototyping methodology which takes advantage of virtual and FPGA-based prototyping in a single framework. We aim to provide a rapid and flexible system validation solution for HW/SW co-design at various stages of development based on the availability of TLM and RTL implementations. The proposed methodology allows online and offline performance analysis and debugging for early feedback in HW/SW architecture exploration. This was evaluated in the experiments with a neural network processor as a case study.


This paper presents a study to evaluate Rice Husk Ash adsorption potential in groundwater contaminated by BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) and TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons). The methodology used in this research involved characterization of Porto Alegre/Brazil groundwater, characterization of adsorbents (AC and RHA) and laboratory and pilot scale assays (use of remediation system composed by: vacuum suction, aeration and adsorption filter). The results show high concentration and variability of BTEX and TPH in the groundwater studied. For benzene parameter, for example, it was obtained average concentration of 46.5 µg/L.  According to the pilot scale study, it was observed decreases in TPH and BTEX ranging from 57.69% to 96.71% at suction system and 96.71% - 99.99% after adsorption mixed filter (50% RHA and 50% AC). The statistical tests ANOVA and Tuckey used here confirm, with a 95% confidence level, that the results obtained from the use of adsorption filter are significant. That is indicative of the importance of this treatment in order to guarantee process efficiency as well as confirm Rice Husk Ash functionality as adsorbent in adsorption filters applied to groundwater contaminated by hydrocarbons.


Abstract. In this paper, we consider occultations of celestial bodies through the atmospheric limb from low Earth orbit satellites and we show how the usual change of tangent altitude associated with atmospheric refraction is inseparably connected to a variation of the observed apparent intensity, for extended and pointlike sources. We demonstrate, in the regime of weak refraction angles, that atmospheric optical dilution and image deformation are strictly concomitant. The approach leads to the integration of a simple differential equation related to the observed transmittance in the absence of other absorbing molecules along the optical path. The algorithm does not rely on the absolute knowledge of the radiometer pointing angle that is related to the accurate knowledge of the satellite attitude. We successfully applied the proposed method to the measurements performed by two past occultation experiments: GOMOS for stellar and ORA for solar occultations. The developed algorithm (named ARID) will be applied to the imaging of solar occultations in a forthcoming pico-satellite mission.


C
ognitive radio networks consist of intelligent devices that perform continuo
us
monitoring of the RF spectrum to locate and use frequency bands that are
temporarily
free
. That is
, those bands used by licensed or primary users that
are not broadcasting at this time. Through cooperative monitoring the
different
node
s in a network rep
ort reports about
the state of the
several
channels (free
or busy) to a node provided
with
some intelligence known as the fusion center.
This node is able to combine all information received in the
different
repo
rts
and make a final decision about
the stat
us of the network in terms of occupancy
and quality (SNR) as well as
inform
ing
the other nodes of
the network on
whether or not using
the frequency band previously monitored.
Because they are wireless,
cognitive
radio
networks can become vul
nerable to
atta
cks such as the b
yzantine attack by malicious entities. This attack is based
on falsifying reports of network
's
nodes sent to the fusion center and can lead
to a wrong decision in the fusion center, and as a result the use of a frequency
band that is not f
ree at that moment , or vice versa.
The aim of this project is to evaluate cooperative
monitoring
mechanisms that
are robust to the b
yzantine attack
s
on cognitive radio networks.
With this
purpose, we used
Matlab software to simulate various scenario
s an
d
assess the impact of the b
yzantine attack
in cognitive radio networks' operation
in terms of probability of detection
and false alarm probability, that is,
the
probability that final decision of fusion center is correct or not, under the
presence or abse
nce of primary user or not, respectively. In addition, we have
compared the simulation results with those obtained by analytical expressions.
Also, since there is the possibility that the
secondary
nodes
become
compromised by an attacker in order to
falsif
y their reports
, various methods
which objective is to identify and exclude the suspected nodes that can be
falsifying its reports in order to prevent the wrong functioning of the network
have been evaluated.


Stroke is the fourth most common cause of death in the United States (second worldwide), with about 87% of these being ischemic. Recent studies, in vitro and in vivo, have shown that High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) accelerates thrombolysis, the dissolution of blood clots, for ischemic stroke. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, cavitation is thought to play an important role in sonothrombolysis. Acoustic cavitation is typically divided into two categories describing the bubble behavior: stable cavitation describes bubbles undergoing smooth oscillations, while inertial cavitation is characterized by rapid growth followed by violent collapses. Possible mechanisms associated with both stable cavitation (i.e. microstreaming) and inertial cavitation (i.e. microjets) are thought to increase clot lysis by enhancing the delivery of a thrombolytic agent. The damage to a blood clot's fibrin fiber network from bubble collapses in a HIFU field is studied. The bubble dynamical model used is the Keller-Miksis equation with a linear Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic material to account for the clot material outside the bubble. The amount of damage to the fiber network caused by a single bubble collapse is estimated bytwo independent approaches. The first method is based on the stretch of individual fibrin fibers of the blood clot, and estimates the number of broken fibers as a bubble embedded in the blood clot grows to its maximum radius. This method estimates that fibrin fibers (the structural matrix of the blood clot) break as the bubble expands, however the bubble dynamical model does not account for this. To account for the breaking of fibrin fibers (and lysing of red blood cells) a term could be added to the Keller-Miksis equation. This motivates the second method, an independent energy based approach. In this method, the equation for the bubble dynamics, as the bubble grows to its maximum radius, is analyzed in the form of a work-energy statement. The energy method is extended to the more important scenario of a bubble outside a blood clot that collapses asymmetrically creating a jet towards the clot. There is significantly more damage from a bubble growing outside the clot compared to a bubble embedded within the clot structure.Next, the effects of the physical properties of skull bone when a HIFU wave propagates through it are examined. The dynamics of a test bubble placed at the focus is used in understanding of the pressure field. The sound emitted from the bubble is used to classify the type of cavitation present (stable and/or inertial). The amount of damage in the area surrounding the focus is examined for various initial bubble sizes. The maximum amount of energy available to cause damage to a blood clot increases as the density of the calvaria decreases.This dissertation is a first step in analyzing potential cavitation mechanisms, which have only been suggested by other authors. The goal is to assess the plausibility of mechanical damage as a mechanism for enhancement of sonothrombolysis with the addition of microbubbles. The methods to estimate mechanical damage derived here offer the first connection between a bubble and the damage it may cause to a blood clot. This work shows that a bubble near but exterior to a blood clot has the potential to cause significant damage. Ultimately, this dissertation contributes to the understanding of how microbubbles can accelerate clot destruction. This understanding will lead to improves design of therapeutic devices.


In contrast to clear under-estimations through non-experts, modern transformers represent high-tech products of highest economic value. This is also true for the soft magnetic core of a transformer. It consists of highly grain oriented (HGO) silicon iron that is surface-treated by stress coating and laser scribing, yielding domain refinement through most intelligent physical mechanisms. Considering a single individual core package, it reveals a complex 2-dimensional flux distribution that is characterized by "flux along rails" due to the high effective anisotropy of HGO materials. It impedes effective numerical modelling since being linked with non-linearity, hysteresis and stress effects from surface treatments. Experimental modelling faces problems of scaling-down and from imperfect clamping, but it yields clear indications for the existence of significant rotational magnetization that should be restricted through further research. The core packages are in - non-clarified - interaction to each other which means that a core has to be considered as a 3D system. This complicates attempts of modelling in further ways. However, high potential exists for further core improvements with respect to lower building factor and lower audible noise. The challenge will be to reduce both characteristics in synchronous ways.


A noninterferometric surface force apparatus has been used to measure interactions between glass spheres in dilute aqueous polyvinylamine solutions at two different salt concentrations. Close to the substrate charge neutralization point, an attractive interaction is present mainly because of bridging of the extending polymer tails. Additional adsorption leads to an overcompensation of the glass negative surface charge, and the interaction at this point is dominated by a long-range double-layer repulsion. The results from fitting the Derjaguin−Landau−Verwey−Overbeek theory to the measured force curves demonstrate that the degree of overcompensation increases with polyelectrolyte concentration and increasing ionic strength of the solution (addition of indifferent electrolyte). An increase in ionic strength results in the screening of the electrostatic forces which leads to:  (i) a reduced free energy cost of creating a charged interface, (ii) a decreased repulsion between protonated amine groups along the p...


'Whistling Psyche': A dark night, an old waiting room and two supposed strangers eager to reach their destinations. In the cold hours that rest between nightfall and daybreak, silent questions prompt unexpected revelations. Two souls share a passion for reform, but only one - Miss Nightingale - has been honoured. The other, Dr Barry, would never receive the same acclaim, but notoriety came after death and for a very different reason ...'Fred and Jane' explores the deep and sustaining friendship between two nuns, Anna and Beatrice, as they recall the trials and joys of religious life.


This issue of Facial Plastic Surgery is dedicated to rhinoplasty in children. Traditionally, septorhinoplasty in children was postponed until after the pubertal growth spurt. The traditional reluctance to operate on the growing nose diminished during the last decades, influenced by the use of more conservative surgical techniques, especially in septal surgery (septoplasty instead of septal resection) with reports of positive postoperative results in the literature. Unfortunately, the follow-up period seldom extended until after the pubertal growth spurt. Experimental work (specially from the Verwoerd group in Rotterdam, the Netherlands), however, shows the importance of an intact nasal septum and intact T-bar structure of septum and upper laterals for normal nasofacial growth. Nevertheless, there are distinct indications for septorhinoplasty in the growing nose, especially in severe functional/aesthetic pathology. In these cases, the surgeon has to weigh functional/aesthetic problems against possible growth disturbance of the nose and midface. More than 30 years of experimental work and clinical observation, especially from the Verwoerd group, resulted in guidelines for the least disturbing surgical procedures in the growing nose and stressed keeping a conservative attitude to pediatric septorhinoplasty and our obligation to follow our patients until after the pubertal growth spurt. This issue starts with basic concepts by Carel Verwoerd and Jetty Verwoerd-Verhoef and proceeds to Miriam Bönish and colleagues' outcomes of experimental septal reconstruction in the growing nose with the use of polydioxanone foil. Next is an article by Menger and coworkers and Shandilya and associates dedicated to septal abscesses in children, with guidelines for surgical treatment to ensure outgrowth of the nose, followed by an overview of children operated upon in the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam by Shandilya and coworkers, emphasizing outcomes and long-term results. In the last article, by Dennis and colleagues, especially, indications for the open approach with case reports and treatment modalities are discussed. I really hope that this issue on ''Rhinoplasty in Children'' gives you surgical guidelines that will benefit our growing patients.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a metabolic side product of oxidative stress process, which causes several diseases like atherosclerosis, cancer, etc. In defense of ROS, antioxidants play a key role in combating them. As the process of aging increases, the level of antioxidants in our body decreases and thereby needs utmost attention for its repair process, which is generally administered externally. Plant products serve a best source for controlling these activities by its own metabolic pathway. Studies on the antioxidant activities of Maytenus emarginata leaf extracts are lacking. Antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of Maytenus emarginata was determined by DPPH free radical nitric oxide scavenging assays, superoxide ion scavenging assays, ABTS, and iron chelating methods. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extract of Maytenus emarginata leaves possesses phenols, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, and triterpenoids. The extract showed significant activities in all antioxidant assays compared to the standard antioxidant (ascorbic acid) in a dose-dependent manner, and remarkable activities to scavenge ROS may be attributed by the presence of the above active compounds in the leaves. The amount of total phenolics and flavonoid contents were also estimated. The DPPH, ABTS, Nitric oxide, superoxide, and iron chelating IC(50) values of the methanolic extracts were 12.44, 24.27, 22.41, 5.85, and 2.74 μg/mL, respectively. The total phenolic content of the methanolic extract was 10.69 mg CA/g, whereas the total flavonoid was 1.56 mg CAE/g. The antioxidant activities were correlated with the total phenolic content. This result suggests that the relatively high antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract compared to standard could be possibly be due to its high phenolic content.


The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) is an establishment survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The survey collects information on the vocational preparation and the cognitive and physical requirements of occupations in the U.S. economy, as well as the environmental conditions in which those occupations are performed. For the first three years of the survey, the establishment sample was allocated proportional to industry employment, and occupations were subsampled within each establishment in proportion to occupational employment. In an effort to publish data on a wider variety of occupations, the ORS sample design was modified using a predicted frame of occupations. Establishments with less-common occupations were selected with greater frequency, and occupations for each establishment were pre-selected with an emphasis on these less-common occupations. This paper describes the sample design and evaluates its effectiveness in its first year of collection.


Using Bohmian trajectory(BT) method, we investigate the dynamic interference in high-order harmonic generation from diatomic molecular ions. It is demonstrated that the main characteristics of the molecular harmonic spectrum can be well reproduced by only two BTs which are located at the two ions. This happens because these two localized trajectories can receive and store the whole collision information coming from all of the other re-collision trajectories. Therefore,the amplitudes and frequencies of these two trajectories represent the intensity and frequency distribution of the harmonic generation. Moreover, the interference between these two trajectories shows a dip in the harmonic spectrum, which reveals the molecular structure information.


Balancing urban and rural comprehensive reform is the major reform and developmental strategy of China. On the basis of the concept and theory of balancing rural and urban reform, the two national pilot cities Chengdu, Chongqing and several provincial pilot cities including Ningbo, Yangzhou, Shaoxing and Zigong are compared. The experiences and connotation of balancing urban and rural areas are concluded from the following four aspects. Firstly, scientific plan is a prerequisite; secondly, promoting three collections' is the core; thirdly, developing people's livelihood is the basis; fourthly, organization security is the key.


This study describes chitosan-phosphorylcholine (CH-PC) films able to support the formation of cell aggregates (spheroids), which are important for tissue engineering and pharmacological studies. The surface topography, charge, thickness, and rheology of CH-PC thin films were characterized by AFM, zeta-potential measurements, SPR spectroscopy, and QCM-D measurements. The CH-PC films are highly hydrated gels, independently of the level of PC incorporation (15-40 mol-% PC/glucosamine units). QCM-D studies established that the amount of fibrinogen adsorbed on CH-PC films decreased with increasing PC content. CH-PC surfaces underwent a transition from moderately cell-adhesive (CH-PC15) to non-adhesive (CH-PC40). Optical micrographs of HUVEC and MCF-7 cell lines cultured on CH-PC surfaces showed that they form spheroids on CH-PC25 and CH-PC40 films.


This paper examines changes in India's rural labour market after 1991, but mainly in the 2000s, using evidence from the Census and the National Sample Survey (NSS). The Census data show a large decline in the size of main cultivators and an increase in the size of marginal agricultural labourers in the two decades after 1991. These changes were more marked in the eastern, northern, and central- eastern States, than in the western and southern States of the country. The combined size of cultivators and agricultural labourers increased between 2001 and 2011, according to the Census. On the other hand, the NSS registered a decline in the size of the agricultural work force and an increase in rural construction jobs after the mid-2000s. The discrepancies between these two data sources are particularly striking in some States, including Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The findings of this paper suggest that a structural transformation of the work force away from agriculture is yet to begin in many parts of rural India, and that the optimism generated by the NSS data on this count is perhaps unwarranted. At the same time, the paper highlights some of the problems with India's employment statistics, especially with regard to measuring the short-term migration of workers.


Abstract : Today, hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States of America are offering prospective students homeland security certificates, bachelors and masters degrees to educate a new cadre of homeland security officials. Yet, when asked, a practicing homeland security professional will likely admit that he/she has little idea what these students will be able to do when they graduate. The problem is that homeland security, in its current form, is not clearly defined and few understand what homeland security officials actually do, especially at the state and local levels. This research addresses this problem by asking state and local homeland security officials about who they are and what they do. By conducting interviews with state and local homeland security officials in practice, this research provides insight into the world of nonfederal homeland security officials, their activities and their backgrounds. It further provides a set of recommendations for developing educational, training and developmental programs that support homeland security officials at the state and local levels.


Former social work educators, and social work educators standing on the threshold of The Next Chapter, have wisdom to share regarding the future of social work education. We must pay attention to their ideas; our profession is at stake. Topics covered in this chapter include doctoral preparation (with the growth of social work education programs in the United States and a large wave of social work educators retiring, attracting well-prepared new faculty has never been greater); online concerns (most study participants were reluctant to give online programs a ringing endorsement); and the need for increased content on aging (as baby boomers progress through their lifespan, and as life expectancy increases with medical advances, the number of older adults requiring social services will continue to rise).


A plausible scenario is advanced for explainig a linear correlation found in some solar system solids between their Mg-26/Mg-24 isotopic ratios and their Al/Mg elemental abundance ratios. This scenario involves three stages: (1) the mechanical aggregation of an average ensemble of Al-bearing dust particles that is postulated to be modestly enriched in the Al/Mg abundance ratio because the aggregated particles themselves are; (2) the extraction, perhaps but not necessarily by hot distillation, of almost all Mg, leaving an aggregate with a large Al/Mg ratio and a large Mg-26 excess; and (3) the uptake of normal ambient Mg by the resulting hot Al-rich solid as it cools in Mg-rich vapor. A linear correlation in solids between their Mg-26/Mg-24 isotopic ratio and their aluminum enrichment may be a fossil correlation inherited from interstellar dust. 36 references.


Silicon nanopowders were produced using electron-beam-induced evaporation of bulk silicon ingots in various gas atmosphere. Optical properties of the nanopowders were studied with the use of photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy techniques. Photoluminescence peaks in the visible region of the spectrum have been detected at room temperature in silicon nanopowders, produced in argon gas atmosphere. Strong short-wavelength shift of the photoluminescence peaks can be result of quantum confinement effect for electrons and holes in small silicon nanocrystals (down to 2 nm in diameter). The size of silicon nanocrystals was estimated from Raman spectroscopy data. The calculated in frame of effective mass model optical gaps for silicon nanocrystals of spherical shape are in good correlation with experimental photoluminescence data. The attempts of deposition of silicon nanocrystal films from the nanopowders on silicon substrates were carried out.


In this paper, I argue that knowledge is dimly luminous. That is: if a person knows that p, she knows how she knows that p. The argument depends on a safety-based account of propositional knowledge, which is salient in Williamson's critique of the 'KK' principle. I combine that account with non-intellectualism about knowledge-how – according to which, if a person knows how to φ, then in nearly all (if not all) nearby possible worlds in which she φes in the same way as in the actual world, she only φes successfully. Thus, the possession of first-order propositional knowledge implies secondorder practical knowledge, and this can be iterated. Because of the assumed nonintellectualism about know-how, dim luminosity does not imply bright luminosity about knowledge, which is expressed by the traditional KK principle. I conclude by considering some potential counterexamples to the view that knowledge is dimly luminous.


Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and its composites have gained vast attention due to its exceptional chemical and textural properties. So far, various multifunctional carbon nanofibers and its composites are developed with highly unique and tunable morphology. In this chapter, we reviewed unique fabrication methods that are recently reported and its characterization techniques such as SEM, FE-SEM, TEM, WAXD, XPS, AFM, and Raman. In addition, catalytic, energy, and environmental applications of carbon nanofiber composites (metals and/or metal oxide nanoparticles incorporated and/or decorated hybrid carbon nanofibers) are discussed. Preparation and characterization of electrospun carbon nanofiber composites and its applications in catalysis and energy storage are the main focus of this chapter.


The focus of choreography modeling is to capture the message exchange between processes. Common choreography modeling languages do not provide capabilities to group activities of different participants together into an all-or-nothing group. This paper presents choreography spheres as a modeling technique for cross-process transactions based on BPEL4Chor and sketches a mapping to BPEL.


Despite frequent use and long history of the measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in clinical practice the coherent theory of this process is still lacking. Analysis of the "aggregation theory" of red blood sedimentation in tubes is performed. This theory claims that erythrocytes in resting blood aggregate due to adhesion provided by macromolecules adsorbed on their surfaces, and that their aggregates sediment according to the Stokes' law. Data obtained in studies of detailed dynamics of red blood sedimentation and direct observations of erythrocytes association and rouleaux dissociation, do not support the "aggregation theory". A model of red blood sedimentation suggested in 1928 by S. D. Balakhovskiĭ is considered. According to this model under the conditions of ESR measurement erythrocytes rapidly associate and from rouleaux network. The course and character of red blood sedimentation is determined by the network stability against packing down. To explain the mechanism of erythrocytes association in aqueous solutions of various water soluble polymers including blood plasma we suggest a model based on the phenomenon of phase separation in aqueous polymer solutions. We demonstrate that these two models taken together agree much better than the "aggregation" theory with the experimental results including data on the role of cell metabolism in the association phenomenon. This new model allows to explain many critical phenomena observed in the processes of erythrocytes association-dissociation both in the resting and flowing blood and attract attention to the cooperative nature of this process as well as the process of red blood sedimentation.


We report the fabrication and application of ultra-short pulse laser induced nanostructures (NSs) on copper surface accomplished with different pulse energies and number of pulses. The shapes and sizes of NSs have been evaluated from the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) data which illustrated different ablation mechanisms in picosecond (ps) and femtosecond (fs) domains. The Cu NSs generated with ps pulses demonstrated Raman enhancements upto ~10 5 -10 8 in the case of the explosive molecules of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7), 5 Amino, 3-nitro,1,3,5-nitrozole (ANTA) and 2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20). The SERS studies were repeated two more times on the same substrate following a simple cleaning procedure. We achieved considerable enhancement factors (of >10 5 ) for the Raman modes of an explosive molecule of FOX-7 on fs laser fabricated Cu NSs. Copyright © 2015 VBRI Press.


Implementing global climate change policies on the national and sub-national level requires the support of many societal actors. This support depends on the perceived legitimacy of climate policies, which can be sustained by legitimation debates in domestic news media. This article analyses legitimation statements on climate politics in newspapers of five countries for three Conferences of the Parties in 2004, 2009 and 2014 (n = 369 legitimation statements). According to our data, it is mainly the legitimacy of international climate policies (instead of national ones) which is evaluated in national fora, and it is usually portrayed negatively. However, there is a noticeable shift in the arguments used over our 10-year period of analysis, moving from efficiency as the dominating evaluation criterion to questions of fairness in the distribution of costs and gains.


In traditional wireless networks, real-time services (e.g., voice) are transported over synchronous channels because of their delay sensitivity while data is transported over asynchronous channels because of its burstiness. It has recently been suggested that even real time services can be efficiently transported over asynchronous channels such as the time shared channels available in 3G networks such as in 1xEV-DO and 1xEV-DV. In this paper we determine the user capacity of traditional circuit switched voice. Our focus is on the forward channel since the reverse channel typically uses dedicated CDM channels for voice.


In order to understand the effects of the earliest fluid‐assisted hydration processes on asteroids, we performed one hydrothermal experiment using three different reactants (FeO‐rich amorphous silicates, iron metal powder, and water) at conditions informed by our current state of knowledge of asteroidal alteration. This experiment provides, for the first time, clear evidence that the growth of fayalite can occur during hydrothermal alteration, as described previously in meteorites. These newly formed fayalite crystals are elongated and porous, similar to the ones described in CV3, CK, and ordinary chondrites. The results show that (1) fayalite could form even if chemical equilibrium was not reached in the experiment, at a water to rock mass ratio (0.4 W/R at the beginning of the experiment) higher than the values calculated to be thermodynamically viable at equilibrium (W/R > 0.2); (2) the composition and the texture of the reactants changed during the hydrothermal alteration process, suggesting that the reactants, especially the amorphous silicates, underwent dissolution and reprecipitation; (3) fayalite can form at low temperature (220 °C), which is at the transition between hydrothermal alteration and fluid‐assisted metamorphism in chondrites. The results are consistent with previous mineralogical observations and thermodynamic models, which suggest that fayalite crystals are formed on asteroidal parent bodies by the interaction between a hydrothermal fluid and disequilibrium assemblages that compose the pristine materials that condensed in the early solar nebula. This experiment suggests that two variables play a very important role in the formation of fayalite during the hydrothermal growth (W/R mass ratio and the fluid composition). These results are similar to the recent observations of the fine‐grained matrix of ordinary chondrites.


Reflectional symmetry is a ubiquitous pattern in nature. Previous works usually solve this problem by voting or sampling, suffering from high computational cost and randomness. In this article, we propose a learning-based approach to intrinsic reflectional symmetry detection. Instead of directly finding symmetric point pairs, we parametrize this self-isometry using a functional map matrix, which can be easily computed given the signs of Laplacian eigenfunctions under the symmetric mapping. Therefore, we manually label the eigenfunction signs for a variety of shapes and train a novel neural network to predict the sign of each eigenfunction under symmetry. Our network aims at learning the global property of functions and consequently converts the problem defined on the manifold to the functional domain. By disentangling the prediction of the matrix into separated bases, our method generalizes well to new shapes and is invariant under perturbation of eigenfunctions. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate the robustness of our method in challenging cases, including different topology and incomplete shapes with holes. By avoiding random sampling, our learning-based algorithm is over 20 times faster than state-of-the-art methods, and meanwhile, is more robust, achieving higher correspondence accuracy in commonly used metrics.


Summary
RNA was extracted from purified Sendai virus, labelled with 32P, and sedimented in sucrose density gradients. Under conditions of high ionic strength (0.1 m-NaCl) the sedimentation coefficient was 57 S. In the presence of 0.005 m-EDTA, the sedimentation coefficient was reduced to 40 S, indicating that the RNA of the virus exists as a single-stranded molecule.
The intracellular synthesis of virus-directed RNA during the latent period of infection of chick embryo cells by Sendai virus in the presence of actinomycin was also studied. Cells were extracted by the phenol + sodium dodecyl sulphate method at 2, 4, 6 and 7 hr after infection, having previously been exposed to [3H]uridine for at least 2 hr. It was found that the first newly formed RNA had a sedimentation coefficient of 18 S and could be detected between 2 and 4 hr after infection. From 4 hr onwards a 57 S component was found in increasing amounts until 7 hr after infection. Substantially similar results were obtained when infected cells were treated with detergent alone, and the mixture immediately centrifuged on density gradients except that the principal RNA components now had sedimentation values of 57 S and 23 S.


With the advent of electricity deregulation, the power quality of electricity supply is getting more and more concern. Customers prefers to have a good electricity supply. In this paper, a novel voltage monitoring system based on a compact microprocessor module is presented. It provides a low-cost and flexible solution for monitoring the power quality of electricity supply. It is especially useful in applying final circuits for both investigation and monitoring purposes. The hardware consists of the module and a few extra electronic components. This shortens the development time and lowers the manufacturing cost. Also, the power quality data can be presented via a web page. Any user in the Internet can access the data from the new monitoring system. Moreover, the size of the system is very small presenting no difficulties for installation. All these features make it very competitive to be used as a supply voltage quality monitor.


This investigation focused on the particle emission characteristics of a heavy-duty diesel engine and the effects of after-treatment systems such as diesel particulate filter and selective catalytic reduction. The test engine was operated on the worldwide harmonized transient cycle mode, which is a new transient cycle for Euro 6, and the conventional European transient cycle mode. Four combinations of after-treatment systems, engine-out, selective catalytic reduction, diesel particulate filter, and diesel particulate and nitrogen oxide reduction, were evaluated for the transient cycles, respectively. The whole test procedure, as part of the Korea particulate measurement programme and the inter laboratory correlation exercise for domestic heavy-duty diesel engines, complied with the recommended method of particulate measurement programme. The particles that were extracted through the golden particle measurement system the constant volume sampler tunnel consisted of solid particles like carbonaceous fraction, metal ash, etc. The particles emitted from the tail-pipe, as analyzed by the differential mobility spectrometer, included volatile or soluble particles like sulphate fraction, nitrate fraction, and organic fraction. The test results showed that the particle number and size distribution depended on the catalytic activity or filtration efficiency of the after-treatment system. Compared to the accumulation mode, the nucleation mode was easily caught or oxidized by the after-treatment system. Additionally, the nucleation mode was sharply increased by excessive ammonia injection because nitrogen dioxide-assisted diesel particulate filter regeneration resulted in reduced conversion efficiency of the selective catalytic reduction.


Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA

The current standard of care for all patients with high-grade, advanced-stage serous ovarian cancer is surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Resection of all visible residual disease to less than 1 cm is associated with a favorable prognosis, but this optimal debulking can only be achieved in ∼70% of patients. Patients with suboptimal cytoreduction are presumed to have lower response rates to subsequent chemotherapy and are known to have a poor prognosis.

Recently, we performed a meta-analysis of 1,525 publicly available expression profiling assays and identified a 200-gene expression signature of primary ovarian tumors to predict the outcome of debulking surgery. The signature was validated using two independent sets of tumors. This debulking signature consists of transcripts positively regulated by TGF-β, indicating that hyperactivation of TGF-β signaling may be responsible of the aggressive biological and clinical behavior of suboptimally debulked tumors.

In this study, we evaluated the potential anti-tumor effect of TGF-β signaling blockade in ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Integrated TGF-β signaling was observed in 8 of 10 ovarian cancer cell lines tested by a SMAD-binding element based luciferase assay. The potential anti-tumor effect of a small molecular TGFBR1 kinase inhibitor LY2157299 was further investigated in SKOV3 cell line, which presents both endogenous and inducible TGF-β signaling and is highly disseminative when inoculated into immunodeficient mice. Although imposing minimum effect on in vitro cellular proliferation, LY2157299 significantly inhibited tumor-dissemination related biological processes in SKOV3 cells including migration, invasion and mesothelial cell adhesion. In an interperitoneal SKOV3 xenograft model, administration of LY2157299 significantly increased cisplatin related cytotoxicity and tumor burden reduction. Taken together, our study has provided evidence for the potential clinical use of LY2157299 to improve the treatment and survival of women with suboptimal surgery.

Citation Format: Wei Wei, Michael J. Birrer. TGF-β signaling inhibition as a potential approach to target suboptimally debulked ovarian tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5401. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5401


Pulse oximeters are ubiquitous in modern medicine to noninvasively measure the percentage of oxygenated hemoglobin in a patient's blood by comparing the transmission characteristics of red and infrared light-emitting diode light through the patient's finger with a photoreceptor. We present an analog single-chip pulse oximeter with 4.8-mW total power dissipation, which is an order of magnitude below our measurements on commercial implementations. The majority of this power reduction is due to the use of a novel logarithmic transimpedance amplifier with inherent contrast sensitivity, distributed amplification, unilateralization, and automatic loop gain control. The transimpedance amplifier, together with a photodiode current source, form a high-performance photoreceptor with characteristics similar to those found in nature, which allows LED power to be reduced. Therefore, our oximeter is well suited for portable medical applications, such as continuous home-care monitoring for elderly or chronic patients, emergency patient transport, remote soldier monitoring, and wireless medical sensing. Furthermore, our design obviates the need for an A-to-D and digital signal processor and leads to a small single-chip solution. We outline how extensions of our work could lead to submilliwatt oximeters.


Subjective ratings of speech quality (SQ) are essential for evaluating algorithms for speech transmission and enhancement. In this paper we explore a non-intrusive model for SQ prediction based on the output of a deep neural net (DNN) from a regular automatic speech recognizer. The degradation of phoneme probabilities obtained from the net is quantified with the mean temporal distance proposed earlier for multi-stream ASR. The SQ predicted with this method is compared with average subject ratings from the TCD-VoIP speech quality database that covers several effects of SQ degradation that can occur in VoIP applications such as clipping, packet loss, echo effects, background noise, and competing speakers. Our approach is tailored to speech and therefore not applicable when quality is degraded by a competing speaker, which is reflected by an insignificant correlation between model output and subjective SQ. In all other conditions mentioned above, the model reaches an average correlation of r = 0.87, which is higher than the correlation achieved with the baseline ITU-T P.563 (r = 0.71) and the American National Standard ANIQUE+ (r = 0.75). Since the most robust ASR system is not necessarily the best model to predict SQ, we investigate the effect of the amount of training data on quality prediction.


Abstract Climate justice is an important issue for civil society advocacy at the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). While the climate justice movement has received increasing scholarly attention, the contribution of faith-based actors (FBAs) to justice debates at the UNFCCC has been largely overlooked. This article examines the contribution of FBAs to the debate on climate justice and their relation to and difference from the climate justice movement. Based on a constructivist assumption that the meaning of climate change can be interpreted differently, this article understands action on climate change as an effect of its discursive construction. This article argues that FBAs are part of these discourses and that their religious and spiritual practices are constituted and constitutive of climate justice practices. Therefore, the aim of this article is to understand FBAs' climate justice practices and critically reflect on their contribution to global climate change politics.


In this paper, a torque/weight and torque/moment of inertia ratio optimization procedure for interior permanent magnet syncronous motors (IPMSMs) is presented. More in detail, a performance comparison between several IPMSM rotor structures has been carried out in order to determine the optimum geometry that can maximize the torque/weight and torque/moment of inertia ratios. A commercial motor, with known electrical and mechanical characteristics, has been taken as reference. Its rotor structure has been modified several times, obtaining different rotor geometries and, therefore, many IPMSM models with different electrical and mechanical characteristics. The finite element method (FEM) analysis of each IPMSMs has been performed using the software FEMM, allowing to determine the related torque/load-angle characteristics. From the comparison between the torque/load-angle characteristics of the different IPMSM structures, it can be stated that significant performance improvements can be obtained in dependence not only of the type of permanent magnets and their direction of magnetization, but also of the PM displacement within the rotor.


The aim of this study was to determine the incidence rates of HIV1/2 antibodies, HBV and HCV antibodies among voluntary blood donors and to estimate the residual risk of HIV, HBV and HCV infection among blood donors in Bukavu. We conducted a follow-up cohort study of volunteer blood donors who have made at least two blood donations in Bukavu (DRC) between January 2010 and December 2012. We recorded 2986 volunteer blood donors during the study period. The residual risk of viral transmission associated with the serological window was considered as equals to the incidence rate multiplied by the duration of the serological window period divided by 365. Seroprevalence in volunteer blood donors in Bukavu was 1.1% for HIV 1/2 antibodies, 4.0% for HBs Ag and 2.1% for hepatitis C antibody. The number of conversion between two blood donations (incident cases) were observed is 8, 12 and 37 donors respectively for HIV 1/2, HCV and hepatitis B between 2010 and 2012. Incidence rates reported for 1000 person-years were 11.0 for HIV, 51.7 for HBV and 17.1 for HCV. The residual risk as estimated from the window was 0.6 per 1000 donations or 1/1.515 donations for HIV, 3.1 per 1000 donations or 1/329 for HCV and 7.9 per 1000 donations or 1/126 donations for hepatitis B. The residual risk is high. The screening tests are not enough to ensure safe blood. The reduction of residual risk would be achieved through the effectiveness of preventive measures taken for transfusion chain, before and after the biological qualification of blood donation.


ABSTRACT Coronavirus Disease 2019, caused by the virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a pandemic first discovered in Wuhan, China which has claimed over 1.7 million lives to date across the globe as of 24 December 2020. As the virus spreads across the world affecting millions of patients, there has been a massive movement to discover readily available and effective treatment options including vaccines. One of the limiting factors in treating the disease is its varied presentation and effect in patients, ranging from asymptomatic patients to those left in intensive care units, intubated and fighting for their lives. There are numerous clinical trials and small-scale studies underway to investigate potential treatment options. However, very few studies and drugs demonstrated efficacy while many more are under investigation, leaving care teams dependent on supportive care coupled with experimental treatment options. In this review, we summarize the various treatment options explored to treat COVID-19, discussing possible the mechanisms of fighting the virus.


Background: In 2015, a multicenter study group proposed a treatment algorithm for pediatric Monteggia fractures based upon the ulnar fracture pattern. This strategy recommends surgical stabilization for all complete ulna fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an initial nonoperative approach to pediatric Monteggia fractures resulted in poorer outcomes and a higher rate of complications. Methods: This institutional review board approved retrospective study evaluated all Monteggia fractures presenting to a level 1 pediatric trauma center between 2008 and 2014. Chart and radiographic reviews were performed on 94 patients who met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 5.5 years (range, 1 to 13 y). The mean clinical follow-up was 18 weeks. Major complications were defined as those requiring an unplanned second procedure (other than implant removal) or that may result in long-term disability (residual radial head subluxation/dislocation). Univariate (P<0.05) and Multivariate Classification and Regression Tree (CART) (P<0.05) analyses were used to identify variables associated with the need for surgical stabilization. Results: At final follow-up, there were no cases of residual radiocapitellar joint subluxation or dislocation and all fractures had healed. The majority (83%) of patients were successfully managed with a cast. Univariate analysis found Bado type and maximum ulna angulation as significant predictors (P<0.05), whereas the CART analysis found ulna angulation >36.5 degrees as the only primary predictor of requiring surgical stabilization. Overall, good outcomes were achieved in all patients with few major complications. Conclusions: Although treatment algorithms are intended to minimize complications and maximize good outcomes, we believe that an unintentional consequence of the recently proposed pediatric Monteggia fracture treatment guideline may be the overtreatment of these injuries. In our cohort, the majority of patients were able to avoid the operating room and surgical implants without compromising outcomes or complications. This more conservative approach, however, requires close monitoring of patients in the first 3 weeks during which most reductions were lost. Level of Evidence: Level IV—therapeutic studies, case series.


This paper, by presenting several prevailing definitions of satire, surveys the background and status of satire in the classical Persian literature. It first deals with the development and evolution of socio-political satire as a unique literary genre during the 'Iranian Constitutional Movement' and the following decades. The writer then discusses the formal structure of contemporary socio-political satire with respect to the usage of figures of speech. To show the application of stylistic literary devices and rhetoric, the writer compares Persian and English irony using examples. Finally, the writer discusses the difficulties of translating figures of speech used in the satires of a given language into another.

Keywords: Persian satire; formal structure; Iranian Constitutional Movement; English satire


There are several anecdotal reports of improvement in diabetic sensory neu ropathy following a course of pentoxifylline therapy. Pentoxifylline theoretically could improve skin blood flow, thus reducing ischemia at axonal endings. The authors used laser Doppler techniques to measure skin blood flow and mea sured sine wave current perception thresholds (CPTs) in pentoxifylline-treated diabetic patients with sensory neuropathy. Twenty-four patients completed a six-month course of treatment. These patients had a predominantly "stocking" neuropathy; all the major abnormalities on clinical, laser Doppler, and current perception testing were found on the lower extremity. Seventeen of the 24 pa tients reported symptomatic improvement. A careful, graded neurologic exami nation confirmed that improvement, with a decrease in symptom score on the lower extremity (SSDW) from a baseline of 5.0±0.7 to 3.5±0.7 (p < 0.01) and of physical score (PSDW) from baseline 22.0±2.0 to 16.0±1.9 (p < 0.01) after six months. On the lower extremity, there was an increase in laser Doppler measured flow score (FS) both at 35 ° and at 44°C. FSDW (35°) increased from 10±2 to 14±3 at six months (p < 0.05). FSDW (44°) increased from 58±5 to 77 ±7 at six months (p < 0.01). There was an improvement in sine wave current perception measured by current perception threshold score (TS). TSDW dropped from 150±32 to 84±28 at six months (p < 0.03). In patients with dia betic sensory neuropathy, pentoxifylline appears to improve skin blood flow. Current perception thresholds improve in tandem, corroborating improvement in clinical neurologic findings. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study would be appropriate to establish the efficacy of pentoxifylline as therapy of diabetic sensory neuropathy.


We propose a full-chip synthesis methodology to construct custom network-on-chips (CusNoCs) for NoC-based systems. The proposed scheme generates irregular network topologies for application-specific designs with known communication demands. In this method, processors and the communication architecture can be synthesized simultaneously in the floorplanning process, and thus it is called CusNoC. CusNoC synthesizes CusNoC in two steps. The target network topology is first generated based on communication analysis. Processing elements are partitioned into groups such that the utility of routers will be maximized if a router is assigned to each group. In this way, the number of routers passed by a packet, or hops, is minimized, and so is the power consumption in the network. The final network topology is formed by properly connecting these groups. A wirelength-aware floor planning is then carried out to optimize circuit size as well as wirelength. Experimental results show that CusNoC produces custom NoCs with better performance than previous methods while the computation time is significantly shorter. This method is also more scalable, which makes it ideal for complicated systems.


Land use/cover (LUC) data are commonly relied on to provide land surface information in a variety of applications. However, the exchange and joint use of LUC information from different datasets can be challenging due to semantic differences between common classification systems (CSs). In this paper, we propose an uncertainty assessment schema to capture the semantic translation uncertainty between heterogeneous LUC CSs and evaluate the data label uncertainty of multitemporal LUC mapping results caused by uncertainty propagation. The semantic translation uncertainty between CSs is investigated using a dynamic semantic reference system (DSRS) model and semantic similarity analysis. An object-based unsupervised change detection algorithm is adopted to determine the probability of changes in land patches, and novel uncertainty metrics are proposed to estimate the patch label uncertainty in LUC maps. The proposed uncertainty assessment schema was validated via experiments on four LUC datasets, and the results confirmed that semantic uncertainty had great impact on data reliability and that the uncertainty metrics could be used in the development of uncertainty controls in multitemporal LUC mapping by referring to uncertainty assessment results. We anticipate our findings will be used to improve the applicability and interoperability of LUC data products.


Change of the dosage form of the medicine is a useful method for the improvement of the medicine-taking compliance. However, the photostability of the medicine may be decreased on account of the change of the dosage form, followed by the change of the quality of it. On the other hand, there is few information focused on the photostability of the dosage-changed medicine. In this study, the effects of the change of the dosage form on the photostability of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are investigated. Photo-exposure by means of the black light, containing ultraviolet (UV) at mainly 365 nm, induced the change of the color of naproxen tablets although the content of the active compound monitored by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was not changed. However, the change of the dosage form of naproxen tablets to the powder and the suspension induced the change of the photostability followed by the decrease of the content of the active compound and the generation of two photoproducts. By means of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, structures of two naproxen photoproducts were determined as 2-acetyl-6-methoxy-naphthalene and 1-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) ethanol. This is the first report evaluated the generation of naproxen photoproducts induced by the long-wavelength UV irradiation in the formulation.


Background and Aims: The true incidence of penetration of the posterior wall (through-and-through puncture) of the internal jugular vein (IJV) during cannulation is unknown. This may have implications if there is hematoma formation, penetration and/or inadvertent cannulation of an underlying carotid artery. This study compared the incidence of posterior wall puncture during IJV cannulation using ultrasound guidance versus traditional landmarks-guided technique. Methods: One hundred and seventy adult patients admitted to a gastro-liver Intensive Care Unit who required central venous lines were randomly divided into Group A: IJV cannulation using anatomical landmark-guided technique and Group B: IJV cannulation using real-time ultrasound guidance. In both groups, a second investigator followed the needle path using real-time ultrasound. The incidence of posterior wall puncture, number of attempts for successful cannulation, incidence of inadvertent arterial punctures and occurrence of complications such as hematoma formation and pneumothorax were recorded. Results: Significantly more (37/80, 46%) patients in Group A had posterior wall puncture compared to 19/90 (21%) in Group B. Incidence of arterial puncture was 8/80 (10%) in Group A, 5/90 (5.5%) in Group B. The number of attempts for venous cannulation and hematoma formation was significantly less in Group B. Conclusion: Real-time ultrasound-guided IJV cannulation significantly reduces but does not wholly eliminate the incidence of posterior venous wall penetrations. It also significantly reduces the incidence of inadvertent arterial punctures and number of attempts for successful cannulation.


THE CHARGE OF THIS JOURNAL IS TO EXAMINE USES OF THE FANTASTIC IN ALL the arts. That in itself would make us interdisciplinary, though the nature of the fantastic also requires trips through a number of disciplines, from anthropology to zoology (especially cryptozoology, the study of hidden or imaginary beasts). The challenge of editing such a journal is also a large part of the fun. I get to learn a little bit about a lot of fields. I also have to locate readers capable of evaluating submissions touching on, say, African history or neuroscience, at least as those relate to literature. For by far the bulk of our submissions focus on literary texts, with film coming in second and graphic novels or comics probably third. That leaves out a lot of arts. I have yet to publish a manuscript on opera, and yet many great operas invoke magic and the supernatural: The Magic Flute, Wagner's Ring cycle, Offenbach's Tales of Hoffman, Gounod's Faust. Ballet has a similar interest in fantasy and fairy tale, from enchanted swan-maidens to nutcrackers. I've seen no submissions on dance. We have published some articles on illustration, but very little on other aspects of the visual arts, including animation. What about the tradition of mythic painting from Titian to Picasso? Or surrealism? There is a similar tradition in sculpture, not to mention the many stories about statues moving or bleeding or coming to life. Photography is more of a challenge, although Roger Luckhurst's guest-of-honor talk at the International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, published in our issue 19.2, made a strong case for the ability of photographers to estrange their subject matter, transforming a documentary image into a piece of science fiction without using double exposures or other trickery. Is there fantastic architecture? Gaudi's comes to mind. His seashell spirals and sandcastle turrets come about as close as one can in three dimensions to Escher's impossible geometries. The challenge is to invoke the fantastic without referentiality. The more abstract an art, the less obvious are the ways to contradict norms and possibilities. Music, for instance, which is often compared to architecture, does not in itself refer to anything else. Only when words are put to the music in a song, or dancers move to its rhythms, or a title guides our associations toward moonlight or "la mer" does the music seem to describe something real or imaginary. Yet there is a form of musical composition called a fantasia. The form itself is perceived to be somehow fantastic: open-ended, ungoverned by sonata form or counterpoint, emotionally explosive. What is the relationship between fantasy and fantasia, or to other cognates, for that matter? What about phantasie (especially in the psychological sense) or fancy? Then there are the other arts, especially the useful ones. Is there fantastic couture? Certainly there is costuming, and the more outlandish constructions of Paris and Milan. More generally, the way fashion represents the body underneath the fabric is fantastic in that it barely resembles the same body unclothed. How about fantastic gardening? Or cuisine? There is at least an article--an article for us, that is; the topic has been covered in other disciplinary publications--in the whole notion of cooking for the dead, from Mexican skull candy to funeral casseroles. …


As part of the mitigation measures adopted in the context of preparatory clearcutting for surface mining, Hazel Dormice have been translocated since 2011. The project is situated in the geographical region of Lower Rhine Basin (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). To date, Hazel Dormice have been translocated from an old-growth deciduous forest to four other sites. Three release sites are re-cultivation areas which were planted with trees and shrubs roughly 10 to 30 years ago. The other release site is an old-growth deciduous forest with a well-developed understory. Nest boxes were placed in the source forest and checked between April and October. Any dormice that were found were individually marked and released, inside their nest boxes, at the new sites. Two or three additional nest boxes were placed within the surroundings of each translocated box.
 Between 2011 and 2018 we translocated 1,840 individuals. We verify the success of translocation by monitoring the release sites in June and September of the first, second, fifth and eighth year after translocation. Additionally, a sample of 200 nest boxes were checked each month between April and October for five years. Finally, we examined groups of nest boxes shortly after translocation to gather information on the translocated animals immediately after release. Individual records reveals that translocation can be a successful conservation measure to secure local populations if their former habitat is damaged.


A recent line of studies has brought attention to the question whether repeated exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is capable of producing psycho-physiological effects in non-smokers and whether symptoms of nicotine dependence can develop in the absence of active smoking. Children seem to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of ETS. We examined the occurrence of psycho-behavioural symptoms, designed to assess nicotine addiction and nicotine withdrawal, in a sample of 778 never-smoking children aged 9–12 years using cross-sectional survey data collected in 15 Dutch primary schools. In the present study, 6% of never-smoking children reported symptoms of craving, 8% reported cue-triggered wanting to smoke, and 20% reported subjective symptoms in response to ETS exposure. In never-smoking children, a higher number of smokers in the child's social environment was associated with more symptoms of cue-triggered wanting to smoke and more subjective symptoms in response to ETS. Never-smoking children and children who had initiated smoking were equally likely to report subjective symptoms in response to ETS exposure. In conclusion, environmental smoking is associated with self-reported psycho-behavioural symptoms in never-smoking children. Future research needs to investigate whether symptoms in children exposed to ETS are physiologically based or whether they reflect other characteristics which predispose youth for smoking initiation in the future.


A mathematical programming model of a representative New York dairy farm is developed to identify optimal management adjustments to increased availability of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). While at current prices DDGS feeding is limited to dry cows and young stock, as prices decrease, DDGS in lactating cow rations increase from 7.4% to 20% on a dry matter basis. While expected changes in net farm returns are modest, more important is the consideration of changes in nutrient management practices necessary to deal with increasing levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the animal waste.


The conventional image systems have been developed in order to enhance the quality of the image representation. Jaggy appearing at the edge of a slant line are, however, easily perceived by human eyes, which often severely defect the 'perceived' image quality, because of the spatial perceive characteristics of our eye system. Although the size of the jaggy can be reduced by reducing the pixel size, it is hard to completely eliminate the perceived jaggy by using the conventional lattice pixel placement, since our eye system is sensitive enough to perceive such jaggy. In this paper, we describe the basic concept of the pseudorandom pixel placement to reduce the jaggy effect, and discuss the relation of jaggy reduction effect and the pixel structure characteristics, in terms of the fill factor and the number of pixel types.


A continuous model is derived for the dynamics of two immiscible fluids with moving contact lines and insoluble surfactants based on thermodynamic principles. The continuum model consists of the Navier-Stokes equations for the dynamics of the two fluids and a convection-diffusion equation for the evolution of the surfactant on the fluid interface. The interface condition, the boundary condition for the slip velocity, and the condition for the dynamic contact angle are derived from the consideration of energy dissipations. Different types of energy dissipations, including the viscous dissipation, the dissipations on the solid wall and at the contact line, as well as the dissipation due to the diffusion of surfactant, are identified from the analysis. A finite element method is developed for the continuum model. Numerical experiments are performed to demonstrate the influence of surfactant on the contact line dynamics. The different types of energy dissipations are compared numerically.


The 2 lymphotoxin subunits LTalpha (also called tumor necrosis factor beta [TNF-beta]) and LTbeta belong to the family of TNF-related cytokines. They form either a soluble homotrimeric ligand (LTalpha(3)) that binds to and signals through CD120a/b (TNFRp55 and TNFRp75), or a membrane-associated heterotrimeric ligand (LTalpha(1)beta(2)) that binds to and signals through the LTbeta receptor (LTbetaR). In mice, LTbetaR signaling is critical for the maintenance of peripheral lymphoid tissues and optimal immune responses, and its down-regulation results in immunodeficiency. To determine the possible relationship between LT-mediated immunodeficiency and the immunosuppressive effects of cyclosporin A (CsA), we tested the effects of CsA on the expression of LTalpha and LTbeta in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). When PBMCs were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate/ionomycin or with anti-CD3/anti-CD28, the accumulation of LTalpha both at mRNA and protein levels was markedly inhibited by CsA. This inhibition is likely due to CsA's effect on the nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) proteins binding to a novel NFAT-binding element at position -490 relative to LTalpha transcription start. LTbeta showed a distinct expression pattern and was insensitive to CsA. Thus, in addition to its effects on the expression of other TNF family members, such as TNFalpha, CD40-L, and CD95-L, CsA can block expression of surface LT complex by selectively inhibiting the expression of the LTalpha subunit. We propose that LT dysfunction and its downstream effects may contribute to immunosuppressive effects of CsA.


Relative telomere length (RTL), an indicator of senescence, has been shown to be heritable but can also be affected by environmental factors, such as parental effects. Investigating heritability as well as parental effects and rearing environment can help us to understand the factors affecting offspring telomeres. Moreover, how phenotypic parental traits linked with fitness can impact offspring RTL is still unclear. A phenotypic marker closely associated with physiological traits and fitness is melanin-based color polymorphism, which in tawny owl (Strix aluco) is highly heritable and strongly associated with adult telomere shortening and survival. We studied narrow-sense heritability (h2) of RTL, as well as the impact of parental age and color morph and their interaction on offspring RTL. Offspring RTL at fledging was strongly positively correlated with both mother RTL and father RTL at breeding. Offspring RTL was also negatively associated with father age, suggesting that older fathers sired offspring with shorter telomeres. Parental color morph did not explain offspring RTL, and there were no interactive effects of parental morph and age, despite previously documented morph-specific senescence patterns. Our results suggest that RTL is highly heritable and affected by paternal age but not related to color polymorphism. This suggests that either morph-specific telomere shortening as an adult does not result in significantly shorter telomeres in their gametes, or that parents compensate morph-specific senescence via parental care. Morph-specific patterns of telomere dynamics in polymorphic species may thus emerge from different life history strategies adopted in adulthood.


Power system deregulation and the shortage of transmission capacities have led to increased interest in distributed generation (DG) sources. Proper location of DGs in power systems is important for obtaining their maximum potential benefits. This paper presents analytical methods to determine the optimal location to place a DG in radial as well as networked systems to minimize the power loss of the system. Simulation results are given to verify the proposed analytical approaches.


Pompe disease is characterised by deficiency of acid α-glucosidase that results in abnormal glycogen deposition in the muscles. Alkaptonuria is caused by a defect in the enzyme homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase with subsequent accumulation of homogentisic acid. We report the case of a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with Pompe disease and alkaptonuria. Urine organic acids and α-glucosidase were measured. Homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HGO) and acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) genes were sequenced by Sanger DNA sequencing. The level of α-glucosidase in white blood cells was markedly decreased (4 nm/mg) while the level of homogentisic acid was markedly increased (15 027 mmol/mol creatine). GAA sequencing detected two heterozygous GAA mutations (C.670C>T and C.1064T>C) while HGO sequencing revealed three polymorphisms in exons 4, 5 and 6, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported instance of Pompe disease and alkaptonuria occurring in the same individual.


The big challenge of the control system for the intelligent and green building is to maintain the maximum customer comfort with minimum energy consumption. In the paper, a customer-centered multi-agent control system is proposed to meet the challenge. Four different kinds of agents are described, which are switch agent, central coordinator-agent, local controller-agents and load agent. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is utilized to optimize the overall system and to enhance the intelligence of the system. The preferences of customers are included in the control system design. Customers are offered the flexibility to define control parameters through a graphical user interface (GUI) according to their own preferences.


[reaction: see text] A diastereoselective coupling of propargylic oxiranes with terminal alkynes has been developed with use of a palladium catalyst. The stereochemistries of the resulting 4-alkynyl-substituted 2,3-allenols have been altered depending on the palladium catalyst. An optically active anti-substituted allene was synthesized from the reaction of an enantiomerically enriched propargylic oxirane without loss of chirality.


Business of Education- "Selleck"s is a wonderfully and wittily written book, grasping the point which so clearly eluded the previous biographer ... that the fascination of Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth lies precisely in the struggle between outer achievement and inner turmoil." The Times Educational Supplement- "... a major biography which sheds new light on the public and private preoccupation of Victorian England, and so on the first and longest running Great School Debate. Its intrinsic interest is seasoned sharply by its relevance today. Readable and enjoyable - and strongly recommended." Australian Journal of Education - "It is a masterpiece...In every respect, this biography of james Kay-Shuttleworth, civil servant and educational pioneer, is a magnificent example of the genre." Paedogogia Historia-" This biography gives very valuable insights into the educational battles with which Kay-Shuttleworth was associated throughout his life this magnificent study goes much deeper by exploring in depth the social, political and the family world of a very troubled man...It is a full, well rounded study based on a meticulous use of all available evidence and a clear mastery of the secondary material which has been produced on this period of history by other scholars in the field" Historical Studies in Education-" This is a long and spectacularly well-researched volume...and must take its place as the definitive life of Kay-Shuttleworth...Selleck has written a masterly work which sets a new standard in educational biography


The institutional and meta-processual dimensions of surveillance have been scrutinized extensively in literature. In these accounts, the subjective, individual level has often been invoked in relation to subject–object, surveillor–surveilled dualities and in terms of the kinds of subjectivity modern and late-modern institutions engender. The experiential, ontological realm of the "mediatized everyday" vis-a-vis surveillance remains less explored, particularly from the phenomenological perspective of the lifeworld. Academic discourses of surveillance mostly address rhetorically oriented macro-perspectives. The same diagnosis largely applies to the debates on the cosmopolitanization process. The literature of cosmopolitanism revolves around broad cultural and ethical transformations in terms of the relationship between Self and Other, individual and humanity, and the local and the universal. Our aim in this article is to conceptualize the dynamics that yield a cosmopolitan Self and an encapsulated Self under conditions of increasingly interactive and ubiquitous forms of mediation and surveillance.


We describe a reversed-phase liquid-chromatographic assay suitable for therapeutic monitoring of thiopental and pentobarbital simultaneously in human serum. The drugs are extracted from serum at pH 6.6 into n-butyl chloride containing thiamylal and barbital as the respective internal standards. The compounds are back-extracted into dilute sodium hydroxide, an aliquot of which is submitted to chromatography. The lowest measurable concentrations are 1.0 mg/L for thiopental and 2.0 mg/L for pentobarbital. The standard curve is linear from 0 to 100 mg/L for both. Between-run CVs are: at 25 mg/L, 4.1% (thiopental) and 3.2% (pentobarbital); at 50 mg/L, 2.8% (thiopental) and 3.4% (pentobarbital). Data on patients receiving thiopental and pentobarbital illustrate use of the method.


The study of memory modulation in infant rats has typically focused on reminder/retrieval treatments involving reexposure to components of the internal or external training context. Rarely have studies employed pharmacological treatments to investigate the neurochemical substrates of memory storage in preweanling rats. The present study investigated the effect of 100 mg/kg of glucose, a common memory modulator in adult mammals, on memory for passive-avoidance conditioning in 18-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Subjects that were administered an immediate post-training injection of glucose performed significantly better, on a retention test 24 h following training, than those animals that received saline. The glucose group also performed comparably to a control group that was tested 10 min following training. These results are consistent with those of the memory modulation literature in adults and suggest that the rapid rate of forgetting in immature organisms may be the result of a deficiency in a general memory modulatory system.


Language is a combinatory system able to create an infinite array of complex meanings frommemory representations in our mental dictionary. How is this integrative process neurally implemented? Studies on the processing of structured vs. unstructured language stimuli have identified a largely left-lateral "combinatory network," with the anterior temporal lobe as its most consistent integrative node, likely contributing the first stage of a multi-stage combinatory process. This chapter summarizes our current understanding of the neurobiology of composition, with a focus on three paradigms from extant literature that most directly address the basic process of combining words into phrases and sentences: the so-called sentence vs. list paradigm, the two-word phrase paradigm and approaches using model comparison with natural narratives as stimuli.


There are presented logic gates of molecular electronics digital computers. Maximal length of these molecular electronics digital logic gates are no more than four nanometers and maximal width 2.5 nm. The results of light induced internal molecular motions in azo-dyes molecules have been used for the design of light driven logically controlled (OR, AND) molecular machines composed from organic photoactive electron donor dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]thiophene and ferrocene molecules, electron accepting tetracyano-indane molecule, and moving azo-benzene molecular fragment. Density functional theory (DFT) B3PW91/6-311G model calculations were performed for the geometry optimization of these molecular electronics logical gates. Applied DFT time dependent (DFT-TD/B3PW91) method and our visualization program give absorption spectra of designed molecular gates and show from which fragments electrons are hopping in various excited states. Quantum mechanical investigations of proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) values of Cu, Co, Zn, Mn and Fe biliverdin derivatives and their dimers using ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF) and DFT methods indicate that these modified derivatives should generate from one to twelve Quantum Bits (QuBits). The chemical shifts are obtained as the difference of the values of the tetramethylsilane (Si(CH3)4) molecule Gauge-Independent Atomic Orbital (GIAO) nuclear magnetic shielding tensor on the hydrogen atoms and that of the magnetically active molecules. There are designed several single supermolecule and supramolecular devices containing molecular electronics digital logic gates, photoactive molecular machines and elements of molecular NMR quantum computers that allowed to design several supramolecular Control NOT NMR quantum computing gates. Self-assembling simulations of these molecular quantum computing gates induced idea of self-assembled molecular quantum supercomputer and molecular quantum computing life.


Recently, my claim that depreciation reported in the Japanese national accounts is underestimated by a substantial margin has been challenged by Dekle and Summers (NBER Working Paper No. 3690), on the ground that the implied depreciation rate (ratio of depreciation to the capital stock) is implausibly high. I argue in this rejoinder that Japan's high depreciation rate can be attributable to two factors. First, the depreciation rate for owner-occupied housing is much higher in Japan. Second, equipment capital (a component of the denominator in the depreciation rate) in the Japanese national accounts seems underestimated. Therefore, my estimate of the level of depreciation for Japan does not seem exaggerated.